In the previous breakdown (Part 1/2), we covered first-pass observations from World Series Game 1, focusing on each team’s starting lineup strategy, the starters’ box-score results, and bullpen usage plus middle-relief execution.
In this piece (Part 2/2), we go deeper into overall offensive output, baserunning tactics and efficiency, defensive contributions and concerns, and the managers’ tactical choices and in-game adjustments. We’ll also preview likely Game 2 starters and counter-moves, then close with takeaways from this pivotal opener and how it shapes the rest of the series.
Ps. Although Game 2 has already been played as I’m writing this, I’m framing everything as if Game 1 just ended.～～～
5️⃣ Hitting: how the lineups actually performed
《Dodgers — Offense》
(Dodgers’ starting order in this game)
Compared to recent games—especially NLCS G4—the Dodgers made very few changes; the same nine starters appeared with only slight batting-order tweaks. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts again hit 1–2, signaling how much the staff still relies on them to set the tempo.
A notable change came in the heart of the order: in NLCS G4, Will Smith hit third and Freddie Freeman fourth; in WS G1 those flipped (Freeman third, Smith fourth). That likely reflects opponent handedness (NLCS G4 vs LHP José Quintana; WS G1 vs RHP Trey Yesavage) and an attempt to optimize sequencing based on recent form.
Against Quintana (LHP) in NLCS G4, switch-hitter Tommy Edman—historically better vs LHP—started, with Teoscar Hernández sixth, Max Muncy seventh, Kiké Hernández eighth, and the slumping Andy Pages ninth.
Facing the Blue Jays’ righty Yesavage here, the Dodgers ran Teoscar, Muncy, and Kiké in the 6–8 spots, while Edman—less effective vs RHP—hit ninth. In short: stable personnel, flexible order, tailored to opponent handedness.
(How the Dodgers’ bats fared)
🔵 Dodgers scoring (4 runs, 6 hits)
- Top 2nd: With one out, runners on first and second, Kiké Hernández singled up the middle to open the scoring, LAD 1–0.
- Top 3rd: Will Smith singled through the right side with two on, none out; LAD 2–0.
- Top 7th: Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer with one out and a man on; cut it to 4–11, but the gap remained large.
RISP line: 7 AB, 3 H, 7 LOB — respectable. But early on, LA didn’t fully punish Yesavage’s shaky command to create bigger innings.
Quality of contact: Hard-Hit% 36.8%, slightly under TOR’s 40.6%.
On xBA, the Dodgers lagged badly: an extreme 52.6% ground-ball rate and 14.3% pop-ups (both high out-rate batted-ball types) dragged xBA down to .163—about half of TOR’s .326. So while there were some hard contacts, overall contact quality lacked danger, hurting hits and run efficiency.
Twelve total times on base (6 H + 6 BB). Eight of nine starters reached (all except Pages). Two times on for each of Ohtani, Betts, Smith, and Edman; Freeman, Teoscar, Muncy, and Kiké each reached once. Notably, the Dodgers had traffic in the 2nd and 3rd that forced Yesavage to labor, but only pushed across one run in each—missed chances.
The seven hard-hit balls were spread across seven hitters—no one with multiple hard-hit balls—so there wasn’t a “hot bat” to anchor rallies. Despite six walks, LA also struck out 13 times with a 38.0% whiff rate, indicating poor adaptation to Toronto’s pitch mix and tempo. That’s a top priority to fix for G2.
(Dodgers’ offensive tactics)
LA kept its established lineup structure with minor order tweaks. Toronto’s pitchers executed, the timing of their changes was crisp, and LA hitters weren’t in rhythm—especially after it ballooned to 11–2 in the sixth. With the game out of hand, the Dodgers made no pinch-hit/defensive subs; all nine starters finished—essentially conserving pieces and avoiding further churn.
《Blue Jays — Offense》
(Blue Jays’ starting order in this game)
Toronto built its lineup specifically for LHP Blake Snell—a dominant lefty who’s smothered LHB this postseason—starting 7 right-handed bats:
- George Springer (R)
- Davis Schneider (R)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R)
- Bo Bichette (R)
- Alejandro Kirk (R)
Only Daulton Varsho (6th) and Andres Gimenez (9th) were left-handed. (In the ALCS vs RH starters, TOR had leaned more on LH bench bats like Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger; here they pivoted to RHBs such as Schneider and glove-first OF Myles Straw.)
A twist: Bo Bichette hit fourth, not his more typical slots. Rationale: he posted a .311 AVG, 134 wRC+ in the regular season—on-base skills plus pop—to protect Guerrero Jr., making “pitch-around” strategies costlier. Kirk slid to fifth as a continuation point.
This underscores the staff’s willingness to deviate from a “fixed” order to maximize expected runs vs specific pitcher profiles.
Seventh-hole Ernie Clement—despite a .429 postseason AVG coming in—stayed mid-back order, not bumped up. Likely:
- He stabilizes the bridge when mid-order sputters, and
- Avoids extra pressure, letting him stay loose and productive.
Comparable logic surfaced in the CPBL Taiwan Series: Rakuten kept Cheng-Chin eighth/ninth even while he raked (.727, OPS+ 419.7), using him as a low-pressure ignition point to lengthen the order.
(How the Blue Jays’ bats fared)
Toronto produced 14 hits and 11 runs. Scoring summary:
- Bot 4th: Daulton Varsho two-run HR to right, tie 2–2.
- Bot 6th: Bases loaded, none out — Ernie Clement RBI single up the middle, 3–2 TOR.
- Same inning: Nathan Lukes (PH for Myles Straw) drew a bases-loaded walk, 4–2.
- Same inning: Andres Gimenez RBI single to right, 5–2.
- Same inning: With one out, still loaded — Addison Barger (PH for Davis Schneider) launched a grand slam to right, 9–2.
- Before inning end: With two outs, a man on — Alejandro Kirk added a two-run HR to left, 11–2.
The nine-run 6th decided the game, smashing the Dodgers’ bullpen plan and pushing the rest into de facto “development time.” RISP: 5 AB, 3 H, 5 LOB. Quality of contact: Hard-Hit% 40.6% (3.8 points higher than LAD), only 4 K, and 13 hard-hit balls vs the Dodgers’ 7.
Standouts:
- Alejandro Kirk (5th): 4 PA, 4 times on, 3 hits (all hard-hit), including a two-run HR; also burned 9 pitches off Snell in the 1st to stress the pace.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3rd): 2 hard-hit balls.
- Daulton Varsho (6th): 2 hard-hit balls including the game-tying two-run HR.
- Ernie Clement (7th): 2 hard-hit balls, including the go-ahead RBI single.
- Addison Barger (PH for Schneider): 2 swings, 2 hits, including the grand slam.
Crucially, when LA yanked Snell for RHP Emmet Sheehan in the 6th, Toronto immediately counter-pinch-hit twice with lefties: Lukes worked a key walk and Barger blew it open with the slam. Perfectly targeted subs.
(Blue Jays’ offensive tactics)
The plan was executed to a T: heavy RHB vs Snell early, strong plate discipline to exploit his control wobbles, then surgical LH pinch-hits once LA flipped to a righty. That blend of pre-game structure and in-game agility fueled the decisive inning and kept the Jays’ postseason blueprint rolling.
6️⃣ Baserunning
Neither team is known for speed. In 2025: Dodgers 88 SB (T-21st), Blue Jays 77 SB (28th). On BsR, Dodgers -1.4 (18th), Blue Jays -5.6 (25th). Power/OBP clubs, not track teams.
In this game, no steals and both clubs made running mistakes:
- Blue Jays, Bot 2nd: Two out, man on first; George Springer hit a 1B grounder. 1B Freddie Freeman looked to force at second but no one covered, so he tossed to Snell covering first—Snell missed the bag. Amid the chaos, Ernie Clement tried to take third late; Snell recovered and Muncy tagged him out. A squandered extra-base chance.
- Dodgers, Top 3rd: First and second, none out; Will Smith singled to RF, but Myles Straw got to it quickly and fired in. Freeman tried for third and got thrown out—a rally-killer despite the hit.
- Top 9th, garbage time (4–11): Ohtani walked, Betts up 1–0; Eric Lauer picked to first. Ohtani had a big lead and a lean; the throw wasn’t a laser but came in low, letting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. receive and sweep. It nearly became a pickoff out, but Ohtani’s body control and evasive move barely dodged the tag.
7️⃣ Defense
Both defenses had their moments limiting damage.
Dodgers: Even while surrendering 14 hits/11 runs, OFs cut down deeper damage in the 6th. Several Jays hits weren’t crushed to the wall; LA’s quick field/throws often held knocks to single RBI rather than clearing the bases. The inning still exploded, but those micro-wins kept it from becoming truly catastrophic.
Blue Jays: With Yesavage frequently in traffic early, the outfield support—including Myles Straw’s plus range/arm—discouraged advances and checked runners. Toronto also nailed its positioning, toggling infield/outfield alignments based on hitter tendencies to snuff potential chains. Those details helped freeze LAD’s rallies.
8️⃣ Dugout tactics & bullpen management
(Dodgers)
The Dodgers basically ran back the template that produced 9 wins in their last 10: Snell starting, familiar order. But one key variable: Alex Vesia—their lefty “bomb squad” arm—was unavailable due to a family matter (later confirmed: his partner about to give birth). So when Snell exited after 5 and the 6th began loaded, none out, 2–2, LA lacked its preferred lefty extinguisher.
They turned to RHP Emmet Sheehan to leverage platoon edges vs RHB. He hasn’t been sharp this postseason, and this spot unraveled—nine runs later, the game was gone. If LA wants to avoid a 0–2 hole, something in this plan needs adjusting by G2.
(Blue Jays)
Starting 22-year-old Trey Yesavage looked like a “unfamiliarity” gambit—less scouting history for LAD hitters than they’d have on Kevin Gausman (who, after years in SF, has faced many Dodgers). Yesavage went 4 IP, 2 R, no decision, but Toronto’s relief sequencing afterward was on point, buying time for the lineup to detonate in the 6th.
Lineup-wise, the Jays stacked RHB vs Snell and then timed LH pinch hitters vs the RHP reliever. The blend of pre-series scouting and real-time switches made the difference.
9️⃣ G2: probable starters & likely adjustments
Schedule: Same start time the next day — 8:00 AM Taiwan (Oct 26) / 8:00 PM Toronto.
Probable: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (RHP) for LAD vs Kevin Gausman (RHP) for TOR.
(Dodgers’ G2 starter — Yamamoto; and plausible TOR counters)
Yamamoto’s a command artist with deep mix and premium pitch quality. 2025 splits: .174 vs LHB, .191 vs RHB — across-the-board suppression. Pure L/R switches probably won’t crack him.
However, across the last two seasons, he’s more vulnerable early—notably 1st and 3rd innings while dialing in feel. Toronto’s best shot: pounce in the opening pass. If they miss that window, Yamamoto often settles and tightens the screws.
Bullpen note: TOR used several key relievers in G1 covering Yesavage’s shorter start. In G2 they’ll lean on Gausman’s length and manage pen timing/fatigue carefully. The good news: arms like Louis Varland and Jeff Hoffman didn’t pitch in G1 and should be fresh.
(Blue Jays’ G2 starter — Gausman; and plausible LAD counters)
Gausman, like Yesavage, leans on a splitter as his kill pitch, which often suppresses LHB. 2025: .193 vs LHB, .238 vs RHB. If LAD’s lefties looked off in G1, they might add more righties for G2 to align with the profile.
On the plus side for LA, many primary bullpen arms didn’t work heavy in G1 due to the score. Expect more levers available in G2 to “defuse” any mid-game Toronto surge.
🔟 Takeaways
This series comes with extra juice—U.S. vs Canada narratives, headline players, and shared history. Since the Trump years, U.S.–Canada frictions (tariffs, rhetoric) created a broader backdrop, and some fans cast LAD vs Toronto as a symbolic face-off. That adds layers to the fan energy.
On the field, Shohei Ohtani is the name. Remember late-2023 when reports had him flying to Toronto, sparking Jays-signing rumors? He ultimately chose the Dodgers for 10 years, $700M—a global shock and a gut-punch for Jays fans, whose boos on Ohtani’s plate appearances in this game reflected lingering feelings.
There’s also the 2021 AL MVP subplot—Ohtani vs Vladimir Guerrero Jr.—though their interactions remain friendly; we even saw a light moment on the bases.
Game 1 matched veteran LHP Blake Snell against rookie RHP Trey Yesavage. Pre-game consensus leaned Dodgers for depth and experience, but reality zagged: Yesavage, though green, escaped repeatedly in the first four; Toronto’s mid-game bullpen moves were crisp; LA’s Snell fought command and couldn’t still the Jays’ bats. The nine-run 6th was the hinge. Ohtani’s late homer couldn’t flip it: Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 11, Toronto takes the opener at home.
That’s it for this Game 1 postgame. Next up is our full Game 2 breakdown: can the Dodgers adjust and even the series, or will the Blue Jays ride the momentum to 2–0 and seize a firmer grip on the trophy race?
Stay tuned. ⚾🔥
Sources
Fangraphs
Baseball Savant
MLB.com
MLB Mini-Encyclopedia (Chinese)
Google
Rebas (野球革命)
The New York Times (Chinese edition)
Plus insights shared by friends in baseball chat groups — many thanks.
A Fan's MLB Insight 
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